A fluid spill on the Princes Highway at Gerringong caused lengthy trafficdelays in the area on Monday morning.

Two northbound lanes of the Princes Highway had to be closed for three hoursafter petroleum jelly spilt across the road just before 10:00am (AEDT).

Holiday-makers travelling home after the Australia Day long weekend werecaught in six kilometres queues, as RMS, Hazmat and Fire crews worked toclear the area.

Spokesman for the Transport Management Centre Dave Wright said the clean upwas delayed, as crews thought the substance spilt was soil.

"So initially our crews went to start the cleanup operation only to find outthis was an oily, slippery substance," he said.

"As a result, the hazmat crews were called and they obviously had to analysewhat the spill was before formal clean-up could commence. Obviously thatwould determine what sort of response would be required."

Mr Wright said due to petroleum jelly's oily nature, it takes more time thanother fluids to absorb.

A chemical spill at the Akzo Nobel plant in Huron caused a noticeable smell,but the chemical itself was contained at the plant and was successfullycleaned up, an official at the Erie County Health Department said Friday.

The 21-gallon chemical leak occurred overnight early Thursday and did notget outside a designed containment area. The spill is being blamed on a pumpfailure at the plant, located at 300 Sprowl Road in Huron.

Bob England, director of Environmental Health for the Erie County HealthDepartment, identified the chemical as ethyl acrylate.

He said the spill produced a pungent odor that could be detected up tothree-quarters of a mile away from the plant, formerly known as the Gliddenplant.

"It's very volatile. It has a very low vapor pressure," England said. "Ithad the smell of acetone or nail polish remover. It was experienced indifferent locations based on wind direction."

England said he did not believe the spill created a public health issue.

The application of the twelve principles of green chemistry in nanoparticlesynthesis is a relatively new emerging issue concerning the sustainability.This field has received great attention in recent years due to itscapability to design alternative, safer, energy efficient, and less toxicroutes towards synthesis. These routes have been associated with therational utilization of various substances in the nanoparticle preparationsand synthetic methods, which have been broadly discussed in this tutorialreview. This article is not meant to provide an exhaustive overview of greensynthesis of nanoparticles, but to present several pivotal aspects ofsynthesis with environmental concerns, involving the selection andevaluation of nontoxic capping and reducing agents, the choice of innocuoussolvents and the development of energy-efficient synthetic methods.

TORONTO ‰?? A U.S. Navy veteran at the center of an investigation intohazardous chemicals has been charged with uttering threats against policeand possessing a dangerous chemical, police announced Thursday.

The discovery of hazardous chemicals prompted the evacuation of twoneighborhoods in Halifax this week and an Ottawa hotel where Phillips wasarrested.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police were alerted to a suspicious package by aconcerned citizen in Halifax, eventually leading to the evacuation of homesTuesday morning. The package was determined to contain hazardous materialsbut not explosives, the RCMP said. Five homes elsewhere in Halifax were alsoevacuated as police found hazardous and volatile materials there as well.

Ottawa police arrested Phillips at the Chimo hotel in Ottawa on Wednesdayand linked the arrest to the discovery of the chemicals in Halifax. Policesay they found no hazardous materials in the Ottawa hotel.

Lawmakers are looking to ban microbeads, barely visible plastic scrubbinggrains used in personal care products, such as soaps and cleansers, frombeing sold in Vermont.

Environmentalists and water quality advocates want them outlawed because thenon-biodegradable plastic waste is washed down the drain and slips throughnearly all of the state‰??s wastewater treatment plants.

The House Fish and Wildlife Committee last week took up the bill, H.4, toprohibit the manufacture and sale of the products in Vermont, effective Jan.1, 2017, and 2018, respectively. Illinois last year signed into law asimilar ban on microbeads, but it takes effect one year later. The beadshave been found in the Great Lakes.

Many manufacturers already use alternatives, such as ground nuts, oatmealand pumice, and are not opposing the ban. However, they urge Vermont to passregulations that align with those in Illinois, including postponing theproposed implementation date by one year.

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